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Chimamanda Adichie vows to raise emotionally strong, responsible sons

By Musa Adekunle

06 March 2025   |   10:58 am

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Renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has said she is determined to bring up her sons as emotionally strong and responsible men. In a recent interview with the BBC’s Emma Barnett, Adichie, 47, expressed concern over how young boys are often influenced by harmful societal norms. "I'm determined to raise good men," she said. "I…

Renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has said she is determined to bring up her sons as emotionally strong and responsible men.

In a recent interview with the BBC’s Emma Barnett, Adichie, 47, expressed concern over how young boys are often influenced by harmful societal norms.

“I’m determined to raise good men,” she said. “I want to raise my boys to be emotionally comfortable, to be in touch with their emotions, to not be afraid of fear.”

READ ALSO: Chimamanda Adichie confirms birth of twin boys, gives reason for secrecy

According to the Purple Hibiscus author, boys today are growing up in a space where negative influences dominate.
“This space is just occupied by noxious characters and ideas,” she said, adding that she hopes her sons will not only resist these pressures but also become men who stand for what is right.

She believes in raising boys who are neither aggressive nor weak but balanced and confident.

“I want them to be the kind of boys that never start a fight, but if you bring a fight to them, they will beat you up,” she stated.

Adichie, who had her first child, a daughter, in 2016 and later welcomed twin boys last year, admitted that becoming a mother shifted her views on parenting.

She also revealed that pregnancy affected her creativity, leading to a terrifying writer’s block that made her doubt if she would ever write again.

“I have been hiding in a cave. I couldn’t write for a while, and then I started writing again. This is what I tell myself to feel better,” she said.

Her new novel, Dream Count, is her first in over a decade, and while she did not initially intend to write about motherhood, she later realized that the theme naturally found its way into the book.